Buffalo Wisdom, Fall 2014
This original carving draws on numerous influences, a feature of the work that may relate to its journey from somewhere along the roadside between Langley, British Columbia and historic Rossdale Flats. The piece was carved, conceived and polished during late Autumn, just when the Canadian geese began their noisy journey southward. The face of the piece draws heavily upon Mesomerican notions of diamonds as stars while the central hole defining its “eyes” was predicated by a comparative reading pre-Columbian and Eurasian approaches to focused observation of the movement of light, the breakdown of the spectrum, and the “optics” of physical balance. The dualism and understanding of harmony articulated by many non-Western cultures and societies are also suggested by the way Buffalo Wisdom may be viewed when it is situated in two distinct 190-degree positions (as either a “hump-backed” or “saddle-ready” buffalo). While the vertical lines and natural fissures found on the carving help channel different types of light, the white rock and the name Buffalo Wisdom was personally inspired from select hanging glaciers still lingering in the Canadian Rockies as well as the insights into the Cardinal Direction “North” found in the Elder Francis Whiskeyjack’s interpretation of the Medicine Wheel.
Desert Visualization with Buffalo Wisdom
The following “memory vignettes” chart the journey to California during Reading Week 2015 (a post-secondary variant of “Spring Break” in decidedly frozen parts of Western Canada) by Buffalo Wisdom and M.A., now an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta. M.A., who hails from in and around the environs of Lac La Biche in Northern Alberta, currently is pursuing a pre-Med course of study while maintaining a deep-seated-interest in the environment, history and literature, as the distinct reading provided for each of Buffalo Wisdom’s desert venues strongly suggest. The associate narrative for the one of the closing vignettes confirms, moreover, M.A.’s long-term academic and professional goals are directed towards medical research.
Orocopia Mountains, Salton Sea State Park, California
15:05:35 February 16, 2015. Temperature=23°C
The Orocopia Mountains overlook the Salton Sea on its northeast side. The Salton Sea was accidentally created when poorly constructed irrigation canals along the Colorado River were overwhelmed in 1905, causing the river to divert and flow unchecked into the Salton Basin for eighteen months. This artificial, man-made disaster created a freshwater lake whilst simultaneously destroying the town of Salton as well as lands belonging to a group of Cahuilla peoples. Subsequently, the salt deposits found in the soil from when the area was a part of the Gulf of California 4.4 million years ago and twentieth-century run-off from agricultural production have contributed to the salinity of the lake. Since there is no natural outlet, evaporation has gradually increased the lake’s salinity to the extent that it is now higher than the Pacific Ocean. Although the lake has been stocked periodically with various species of fish, most of these species have died off due to the increased hostility of the aquatic environment. Avian mortality is also a huge problem, especially since the Salton Sea is an important bird sanctuary, providing a convenient rest area for migratory birds while it is also home to several endangered species. The mountain defining the horizon behind Buffalo Wisdom overlooks the Sea. The most salient characteristic of this area is the odour of the air, which is strongly reminiscent of the Pacific Ocean, but more potent, and sullied by the scent of decay of fish corpses that litter the shell beach. The calls of various birds can also be heard, including seagulls and pelicans, as well as the sound of air rushing past their wings as they take flight. This point is 230 ft. below sea level.
Cholla Gardens, Colorado Desert,
Joshua Tree National Park, California
12:41:13 February 18, 2015. Temperature: 26°C
The Cholla Gardens rise suddenly and conspicuously from the Colorado Desert landscape where it meets the Mohave Desert. For humans, and clearly not Buffalo Wisdom (seen here in 180 degrees “reverse” from the previous portrait), cacti can prove to be one the more hostile plants found in the area. Merely brushing against these cacti will cause their spikes to penetrate and latch onto the skin very painfully. The small, ball-shaped cacti are especially treacherous as they can be mistakenly stepped on, and have been known to pierce even through footwear. The impression of these from this short hike is decidedly and personally ‘one’ or the 'other' since the cacti are either lighter green or a darkened, macabre brown colour. This mixture in colour provides sharp visual contrast, especially in places where a few, pale yellow flowers bloom.
Live Oak, Mohave Desert,
Joshua Tree National Park, California
13:58:50 February 18, 2015. Temperature: 22°C
This part of the Mohave Desert is characterized by both the stunning, gargantuan rock formations and the presence of some larger vegetation, including the Joshua tree. The monstrous rocks looming over Buffalo Wisdom appear to randomly and abruptly rise up out of the desert, and the bizarre conglomerations evoke images of being carelessly strewn about by giant hands. The rocks are also deceiving. Although the surfaces of the rocks look smooth from a distance, they are actually characterized by various pits and protrusions that make them excellent for climbing.
Live Oak, Mohave Desert,
Joshua Tree National Park, California
14:03:15 February 18, 2015. Temperature=22°C
One of the highly interesting rock formations from the Mohave Desert, this particular rock overlooks a small valley dotted with Joshua trees. This formation is also an excellent example of how the brain (particularly the fusiform face area) causes facial features to rise unbidden out of the planes and contours of the rocks, demonstrative of inevitable conformity to mental heuristics and assumptions. In contrast, the Joshua trees hidden from view here are decidedly nonconformist, their limbs budding and twisting without symmetry and with utter disregard for any law other than entropy. This nonconformity is the source of the Joshua tree’s beauty, since aesthetically they could not be described as beautiful. In some places the older trees have sagged and bowed under their own weight as if to suggest that they lack the strength to persist. This inevitable march towards helplessness and abandonment of hope adds a subtle element of the macabre to the scene. Buffalo Wisdom, nevertheless, still maintains a dignified posture and a positive resolve.
Outlook from Keys View,
Joshua Tree National Park, California
15:08:00, February 18, 2015; Temperature= 19°C
At an elevation of 5185 feet, Keys View provides an outlook on Coachella Valley, various mountain ranges, Salton Sea, and, on a particularly good day, Mexico. Unfortunately, due to the poor air quality (smog), on most days the view is occluded by haze. The San Andreas Fault can also be seen from this venue, especially where it runs through the valley.